Say Something
by Smiley01
Summary: Song Fic loosely based of the song Say Something by A Great Big World. It's a little sad and there's not a HEA, but I felt a pull to write it so I did. This is my first attempt so please tell me what you think. UPDATE- New chapter added because I couldn't leave it so sad. Les ending, but at least it's happy!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except the plot. JE owns the characters and A Great Big World owns the lyrics to the song.

I heard this song one night and thought of this one-shot. I guess you could call it angsty but it was something I could see happening. I hope you all enjoy. This is my first attempt at writing so please let me know how I did. I tried my best to edit, but sometimes I miss things. I hope there isn't too many mistakes.

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**Say Something**

"Ranger! Say something!" I looked at Stephanie as she stood with her hands perched on her slim hips glaring at me. For months, I've seen this confrontation coming. I know she saw it happening differently in her mind, but what she wants is never going to happen. "Did you hear what I said? Lester asked me out on a date. Are you fine with that or would you like to say something to me?" When I didn't say anything, I watched in horror as tears filled her gorgeous eyes. I knew I was breaking her heart and that the pain in her chest was too intense to hold the moisture back. Much to my discomfort, she let the tears fall. Her small voice broke into a sob as she whispered in my quiet office. "**Say something, I'm giving up on you.**"

Outwardly, her words invoked no emotion in me. Inwardly, I was a frantic mess. I hated that she was giving up, but maybe it was for the best. I couldn't give her what she needed. She needed someone who could talk to her and who could be beside her for the rest of her life. She needs someone who wouldn't be called away for months at a time. She needs someone who doesn't have a hole where their soul used to be. She is light and purity, and I would only mar her with my darkness.

I could tell she was getting frustrated as Stephanie angrily wiped the tears away from her eyes, ran her hand through her hair and let out a growl. Her blue eyes met my dark brown when she turned back around. I could see the desperation written in her look and seeing it nearly broke my heart and my resolve. "Ranger, please. I'll be the one if you want me to be. I'll be whatever you need. Wherever you go, I will follow but you have to say something to me."

_You're already everything I need, Babe. You're perfect just the way you are. I want you to be mine more than you'll ever know but the places you'll be following me to are hell. I can't...no, I won't lead you there. I love you too much to lead you into my personal nightmares._

When no words escaped my mouth, Stephanie hung her head in defeat. In a small voice that trembled with all the emotion coursing through her, she whispered, "I'm going to take from your silence that you don't want me so I guess I can say yes to Lester." Stephanie turned away and wiped away at the tears falling from her eyes again. I wanted to scream and correct her. I wanted to tell her how much I wanted her; how much I will ALWAYS want her. Every time she's close to me, I feel her. My body craves her and my heart aches for her, but I can't tell her that. "I feel so small, Ranger. You're not saying anything even though I'm begging. I thought you at least cared about me. I guess I was just in over my head with us, huh. I guess I don't really know anything at all."

My heart was screaming, _"You're not over your head, Babe. I care about you more than my own life. I LOVE you and I would give anything to tell you_ that", but my mouth didn't budge and the office fell quiet. All that was heard was my steady, even breathing mixed with Stephanie's sniffles and quiet sobs. After several tense, silent minutes; Stephanie turned back around to face me. "I really need you to say something. I don't want to give up on us. I don't want to give up on you, but you're leaving me no choice."

I still stood unmoving and unspeaking even though inside my heart was breaking. I knew this day was coming. Les informed me earlier this week that he was going to ask her out. He told me I had four days to pull my head out of my ass and do what was right or I was going to lose her. He gave me six days but I did nothing. I knew she'd be better off dating Les or one of the other guys rather than me or Morelli. I am broken and always would be.

"Ranger!" I shook my head and turned my hard gaze back to her tear-stained face. Dios, how I wanted to kiss those tears away, but I knew that wasn't a good idea and it would only confuse her more. "I'm laying everything out on the line tonight. Right here, right now I'm giving you everything. My heart is yours for the taking. I love you! I love you so much that it hurts. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone."

My heart stuttered when she said those three words. The words that I'd been both dying and dreading to hear. My heart screamed YES as my brain screamed NO. They were in a constant state of war since meeting Stephanie and tonight, they were both prepared for battle. The deck was heavily stacked in my brains favor though. It was the one winning the war. It was the one that HAD to win. There was no other option.

The look of pain on her face when I didn't respond or even react to her words was almost enough to tell my brain to shut up. It almost made me pull her into my arms and tell her everything that my heart wants to say. But instead of doing those things, I stiffened my back and kept silent. She would thank me later. After the pain was gone, she would understand.

I saw the minute she gave up. Resignation filled her face and Stephanie looked down and nodded her head. "Okay, Ranger. I'm done. I can't do this to myself anymore." She picked her eyes up to mine and the crystal blues were swimming with tears. "You're the one that I love and I'm saying goodbye. I can't be your toy any longer. Lester asked me out and I'm going to tell him yes. I'm going to try to move on from you and I'm going to try to live my life."

Stephanie took a step closer to me and started to reach out to cup my face. I longed to feel her touch just one last time, but she stopped and dropped her hand, taking a step back. I watched as she shook her head before turning and walking toward the door. She stopped with her hand on the knob and turned around to look at me one last time. "Goodbye Ranger. I'm sorry that I couldn't get through to you. You deserve happiness, whether you believe it or not. I hope one day you find it. I will probably always love you, but I won't wait for you." She stared at me for several minutes, wishing and praying for me to talk, but I didn't. Finally, she shook her head. "Goodbye, my love."

With that last whisper, she opened the door and stepped through. My heart was screaming at me to stop her. To tell her the truth. To take her into my arms and never let her go. My heart won the battle for a brief second, and my mouth opened to utter one word, "Babe". But I was too late and she was already gone.

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A/N - I know it's not a HEA for the Babe's but they can't all end with forever. Hopefully you don't stone me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Say something, Lester!" Stephanie's hands were firmly planted on her hips as her tear filled eyes glared at me. I had no idea that this conversation was coming so it blindsided me and I was speechless. "Damn it, Les. Don't do this to me too. Please don't shut me out now. Did you hear what I just told you?" I swallowed the lump in my throat but no words formed in my throat. I couldn't speak. I was too stunned.

My silence only angered her more. "What the hell is it with you men? You can't open your damn mouths and form words. I don't have that problem. I can say things like, 'I love you' or 'wow, that's good news.' I don't just sit there like a giant turd after hearing life changing news." Stephanie started pacing back and forth still ranting. "I mean shit. I know you're related to Ranger, but I thought you had more brains than him. You saw what his silence did to me and now you're pulling the same shit. Why can't you just tell me how you feel about all this?"

How I felt? How could I tell her how I felt when I had no idea myself. Again, I was stunned speechless. Stephanie was quiet for several seconds and then sat down hard on the couch beside me. I heard the first sniffle and knew before I ever turned my head to look at her that she was crying. I hated when she cries. It kills me to see tears fall from her eyes but I honestly couldn't think of what to say to her.

"You want to know what I hear when you don't speak?" I looked into her eyes and nodded my head once. More tears filled her eyes, breaking my heart more. "I hear my worst fears coming true. I hear that you don't love me like I think you do and I hear that maybe I need to just walk away before you truly and honestly break my heart like your cousin did. You were so angry at him after everything happened, but here you are a year later doing the exact same thing. Maybe I need to go and preserve this little part of my heart that still remains in tact. Between Ranger and now you, I've almost got nothing left, Les."

Stephanie stood up and walked by me, but I grabbed her hand before she could walk past. I heard her sob and stood up to take her into my arms. I wasn't going to let her walk away from me so I knew I needed to suck it up and figure out what to say to her. The second my arms came around her, she melted into my embrace and the let the tears come harder.

I never thought a year ago that I would ever be holding Stephanie in my arms. Her and I devised the plan to get Ranger to either step up and admit that he loved her or to step aside so someone else could. I told him that I asked her out, when I really didn't and she used me to push him. Sadly, he chose the cowards way and almost destroyed her. Bobby and I were the only two people she'd talk to for months after her confrontation with Ranger. Her and I spent a lot of time together during that time and I truly and honestly fell in love with her. I loved her before, but kept myself distant because I knew she loved my stupid cousin. Spending all the time with her, it was impossible for me not to fall for her.

Six months after Ranger broke her spirit and ran away to Miami, Stephanie told me she was ready to start dating and I was the first in line to ask her out. She was shocked at first, but quickly agreed. Our first date, I knew I was going to spend my life with her but there was no way I was going to tell her that so soon. She would have probably ran screaming if I had.

We started our relationship slow. I took her on dates and to meet my family. I joined her for family dinners as well and her dad and I really hit it off. Her grandma scared me, but even her mom accepted me after a few months. The past six months have been amazing and now I'm afraid that everything's changed.

As painful as it was for me, Stephanie and I dated four whole months before we became intimate. We've only been 'together' for the past seven or so weeks and they've been the best of my life but I wondered what's going to happen now. Now that...

"Please let me go, Les. I'll figure something out. I won't ask anything from you." Stephanie's voice and struggle broke me out of my reverie. I didn't know what I was going to say, but I knew I had to say something or I was going to lose her. That was not an option for me, either. When she didn't stop fighting against me, I stepped back and took her face between my hands. My thumbs slowly wiped the tears off her cute cheeks. The moment of truth arrived and I opened my mouth and spoke.

"I'm sorry, Beautiful. You caught me off guard and I was shocked." She visibly relaxed when my words finally registered in her brain. "Are you sure about, well, everything?"

More tears filled her eyes as she nodded. "I'm so sorry, Les. I know we're kind of a new thing and this has potential to end us, but I had to tell you. You have the right to know."

Swallowing another lump, I nodded my head. I did have a right to know so I was thankful that she told me the truth. Her next question knocked the wind out of me. "Do you want this to end us?"

My heart screamed my answer and my brain agreed fully with what it said. "NO, Beautiful. I don't want this to end us. This is going to bring us closer together. You know that I love you right?"

Stephanie nodded. "Yes, I know you love me. I love you too and I wouldn't give up what we have for anything." She looked up into my eyes and searched for something. "Tell me what you're feeling. I need to know what's going on in that head of yours."

I let out a breath and guided her back to the couch. Sitting down with her on my lap, I positioned her comfortably in my arms and rested my hand over her flat stomach. "I'm shocked, Beautiful. I'm not going to lie. I'm shocked, but behind that shock is something else."

"What's there?" She snuggled down into my arms and rested her head over my heart.

"Happiness. Awe. Wonder. Love. Excitement." I spoke the truth and felt her relax more. "I don't know which one of those is more prevalent, but they're all there. What are you feeling?"

"I freaked out at first. I mean...can you picture me as a mom?" I chuckled and kissed her hair.

"Actually, I can. I've seen you holding my babies in my dreams before. I never thought those dreams would come true though." I began to massage her belly lightly. She picked up her head and looked deep into my eyes.

"Really?" I nodded, never taking my eyes off hers. "We've never talked about kids or anything, so I didn't know."

"That's okay. Now, I guess we need to talk about it. I love you, Stephanie. I have for a long time. I want to spend the rest of my life with you..." I rubbed her belly again. "...and our child. I'm not going anywhere."

Stephanie gave me a full, gorgeous smile and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm so glad to hear you say that. I love you more than I ever though possible, Les. I wouldn't survive without you."

"Hopefully you'll never have to, Steph." She leaned back and cupped my face in her hands before kissing me tenderly.

"You know what." Some of her spunk was back and her tone of voice made me smile. "A year ago I thought a happily ever after was impossible. I thought I'd lost everything, but as it turns out...I gained everything instead. I got a great boyfriend and now we have a baby on the way. I'd say that's a pretty happy ending, don't you?"

I chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. "I'd say that's a good ending, but there was a problem with what you said." Stephanie tried to raise her eyebrow but only managed to look silly. "We need to talk about the boyfriend part. I was thinking of changing that to husband." Her eyes got wide, making me laugh again. "What do you say? Will you marry me? Then we can have the true happily ever after."

She thought for a moment and then turned her blue eyes back to me. Her smile could have lit up all of New York in a black out. When she was quiet for a few more beats, I smirked and said, "Say something, Steph."

After an eye roll, she said the one word that made my whole life complete, "Yes!"

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A/N - So I couldn't leave it so terribly sad and after debating for days about who gets the HEA, I finally put both guys names in a hat and drew one. Les won and this is his ending. Since Ranger is pouting now, I'm starting a chapter story that will be a Babe. Hopefully I can get my thoughts that are running through my head down on paper well enough to post it soon. Thank you all for reading and don't forget to leave me a few words. I love hearing what you thought about my writing!


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